The Voyage of Captain Don Felipe González to Easter Island, 1770–1

For readers fascinated by early European exploration and the mysteries of Easter Island, this volume offers direct access to the first-hand accounts from the 1770 Spanish expedition. Through English translations of the original logs and reports, you are placed on the deck and shore alongside Captain Don Felipe González as his crew makes first contact with the Rapa Nui people and documents the island's famous moai statues. This is not a modern interpretation but the raw, unfiltered observations from the moment two worlds collided.

The book's power lies in its primary source material, providing a crucial, ground-level perspective on a pivotal historical encounter before the more famous visits by Cook and La Pérouse. History students and anyone captivated by Polynesian culture or the age of exploration will find these pages invaluable, as they capture the island's environment and society at a specific, irreplicable point in time. Reading these translated narratives feels like uncovering a lost logbook, offering a tangible connection to the very beginning of recorded Easter Island history.